Closure for containers



Jan. 1938- J.. c. HOFFMAN 2,104,540

CLOSURE FOR CONTA INERS Filed Jan. 9, 1935 IN VENT 0R. Jaszm/ C. //0FFMH/\/ ATTORNEYS defining the limits thereof, Fig. 1 is an elevation Patented Jan. .4, 1938 UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE cinema son commas Joseph G. HoflmamYonkers, N. Y.

Application January 9,1935, Serial No. 994

2 Claims. (01. zes -43f in place, for instance; by being crimped upon The invention relates to closures for containers and has for its object to provide an emclent closure of novel construction capable of being easily combined with the container and readily removed therefrom at will. The invention further contemplate's'the provision of an auxiliary closure adapted to be readily placed in position'on and removed from the container as an auxiliary to the normal cover for said container or as a substitute therefor after the efilciency of said cover to I close the container has been partially or completely destroyed because of the'initial removal ofsaid cover from said container. Other more specific objects will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be' pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates several forms of the invention without of a container partly in section with one form of the novel closure combined therewith; Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. l with parts in section; Fig.

, 3 is a view similar to-Fig. 1 showing another form of the novel closure; Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3 with parts in section, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of a container partly in section and illustrating still another form or the novel closure.-

For descriptive and illustrative purposes the several forms of the novel closure are shown in connection with containers of the type in which a normal cover is frictionally secured in an annular fitting located at one end of said container.- The efliciency of such covers as a closure is in many instances reduced and even destroyed subsequent to the initial removal of said covers, and the novel closures are in such cases designed .to serve as auxiliaries to or substitutes for said normal covers after the initial removal thereof from the cooperating fitting. While the novel closures are specially adapted for use in connection with the indicated and illustrated type of containers, it is to be-distinctly understood that said closures are not limited to such use and that they may be efilciently utilized in connection with other forms of containers.

In the drawingthe containers ID are of cylindrical form and in many instances are 'con- .structed of cardboard, paper board or equivalent material, said containers I each being permanently closed at one end with a bottom ll fixed in place in any conventional and wellknown way. At their oppo ite end the containers I ll of the indicated type are each provided with an annular metallic fitting H which is fixed form of an annular external shoulder I3 is formed upon the container l0, while in Figs. 3 and l the fitting 12 is crimped upon the container' In so as to lie fiush with the exteriorsurface thereof. Inany case the annular fitting I2 is generally provided with a lip or flange H which extends in the direction of the axis of the container III and defines th 'opening'at one end through which access to and'egress from the interior of the container l0 may take place. The cover l which normally closes the open end of the container it may be of any customary type and initially is forced into the opening defined by the lip It so as to be frictionally held in place therein to efiiciently seal the open end of the container |0.- When it is desired to such as a screw-driver or knife in co-operation with the transverse-portion I5 of said cover i5. After such initial removal the cover IS in many cases is no longer of maximum eificiency as a closure and in someinstances is incapable of being replaced in an effective closing position. Under such conditions the novel closure, as illustrated in the drawing, is designed to act as an auxiliary to or as a substitute for the cover IS in closing'the open end of the contalner'lfi.

In all of the forms shown in the illustrated examples the novel closure consists of a circular end portion IB' and a peripheral fiange'l'l, the dimensions of the end portion l6 being such that the internal diameter of the flange I! is somewhat greater than the external diameter of the container. I0. In those forms which include the annular shoulder l3 or equivalent outwardly extending shoulder, the internal dimensions of the continuous flange i1 is such that said flange fits over said shoulder and projects beyond the same in an axial direction in spaced relation to the container ID as shown in Figs. 1 and 5; in forms of the type shown in Fig. 3'the flange i 1 through- I in question being of such type that it will permit the closure to be readily removed from and placed upon the container It, and at .the same time flrmly hold said closure in operative position thereon. In Figs. 1 and 2 the aforesaid means is shown in the form of,a plurality of inwardly directed projections ii spaced apart circunfifer entialiy of the flange l1 and arranged to snap and extend beneath the shoulder II atspaced intervals and in co-operation therewith to -removably secure the closure on the container it. In Figs. 3 and 4 the inwardly directed means consists of a plurality of inwardly directed projections l8 which extend axially of the flange I! at spaced intervals; when the closure is in position in the container II the projections 18* are in frictional engagement with the outer surface thereof and thereby serve to removably secure the closure in place on the container It. In Fig.

- position on the container l0.

It will be understood that the inherent elasticity of the flange i1 permits the projections l8 and It to be forced over the shoulders I! when the closure is placed upon the container I 0, and

causes said projections to snap beneath said shoulders I: when said closure is in its operative position on said container It. Similarly this elasticity of the flange l1 forces the projections it into frictional engagement with the outer surface of the container II in Figs. 3 and 4 to hold the closure in place thereon.

As shown in the drawing the projections l8, I8 and II may be formed by deforming or indenting the flanges ll inwardly, it being understood however that this is not an arbitrary requirement and that said projections may be otherwise formed if desired.

While thenovel closure has been illustrated in connection with containers of cylindrical shape and is itself illustrated in circular form, it' will be obvious that said closure in the proper form may be used with equal efllciency in combination with containers having a cross-sectional form other than circular. It will further be obvious that the novel closure is not restricted in its use to containers having closing means such as exemplified by the covers i5 although it is particularly adapted to this type of container for the reasons set forth hereinbefore. In addition it will be apparent that the novel closure is equally well adapted for use in connection with containers made of materials other than cardboard, paper board or equivalent material.

The novel closure in all of its forms serves as a means for efficiently closing the open end of a container when for instance only 'part of the contents thereof have been removed or for other reasons.

Various changes in the speciflcforms shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

.1. The combination of a container of nonmetallic material, a metallic fitting fixed upon said container at one end and projecting over the outer surface thereof in an axial direction, a closure including a continuous flange adapted to project over'said container in outwardly spaced relationthereto, and inwardly directed means on said flange bridging the space between the latter 

